Akiko Suzuki PCS

For what it is worth, I don't find Akiko's PCS being underscored here. After watching her performance, this is what I would have given her for the Components :

SS = 8.5
TR = 7.0
PE = 8.25
CH = 7.75
IN = 7.5

In summary, Akiko had a powerful skate and well executed LP, probably one of her best ever. That being said, there are some clearly discernable weaknesses in this program, namely the lack of connecting steps or elements. She gave this viewer an impression that she just skated from element to element. Most of her jumps were not preceded by any connecting moves of significance, which automatically lowers her GOE relative to other skaters who do more, for example vs. Kaetlyn Osmond. The latter has an ISU Technical Specialist as her coach, who knows exactly what a panel is looking for whereas the design of Akiko's elements aren't very textbook ISU standards. This is such a shame because Akiko has very impressive ability to dazzle people with her footwork, which she only uses during step sequences but not in-between. I think Akiko should give Patrick Chan a call.

When it comes to CH and IN, the construction of the program is adequate but leaves some points on the table. Yes, there were some captivating highlights in the program but for the most part, she seemed laser focus on her elements and forgot about performing. The composition of the CH can also be more clearly separated into different sections, to give her program a clearer sense of layers and change of rythm, which she didn't do. It felt as though the energy level of her performance stayed at the same level throughout.

Finally, Akiko's interpretation of her chosen music can still be improved through better utilization of her in-between and more expressive upper body movements. She simply spent too much time laser focus on her jumps and forgot she needs to express the highlights of her music. It's not because she can't - on the contrary, in the sections where she does such as in her step sequences and towards the end, she was captivating. But after the opening, the gap between that and the ending - there is a lot of empty space. The music is beautiful but she also needs to show it as well.

All things considered, she would have gotten a PCS of 62.4 from me, which is just about in line with the judging panel, so no, I cannot validate the accusations that her PCS is being underscored.

For what it is worth, I don't find Akiko's PCS being underscored here. After watching her performance, this is what I would have given her for the Components :

SS = 8.5
TR = 7.0
PE = 8.25
CH = 7.75
IN = 7.5

In summary, Akiko had a powerful skate and well executed LP, probably one of her best ever. That being said, there are some clearly discernable weaknesses in this program, namely the lack of connecting steps or elements. She gave this viewer an impression that she just skated from element to element. Most of her jumps were not preceded by any connecting moves of significance, which automatically lowers her GOE relative to other skaters who do more, for example vs. Kaetlyn Osmond. The latter has an ISU Technical Specialist as her coach, who knows exactly what a panel is looking for whereas the design of Akiko's elements aren't very textbook ISU standards. This is such a shame because Akiko has very impressive ability to dazzle people with her footwork, which she only uses during step sequences but not in-between. I think Akiko should give Patrick Chan a call.

When it comes to CH and IN, the construction of the program is adequate but leaves some points on the table. Yes, there were some captivating highlights in the program but for the most part, she seemed laser focus on her elements and forgot about performing. The composition of the CH can also be more clearly separated into different sections, to give her program a clearer sense of layers and change of rythm, which she didn't do. It felt as though the energy level of her performance stayed at the same level throughout.

Finally, Akiko's interpretation of her chosen music can still be improved through better utilization of her in-between and more expressive upper body movements. She simply spent too much time laser focus on her jumps and forgot she needs to express the highlights of her music. It's not because she can't - on the contrary, in the sections where she does such as in her step sequences and towards the end, she was captivating. But after the opening, the gap between that and the ending - there is a lot of empty space. The music is beautiful but she also needs to show it as well.

All things considered, she would have gotten a PCS of 62.4 from me, which is just about in line with the judging panel, so no, I cannot validate the accusations that her PCS is being underscored.

I don't think it's the score that bothers most posters, but rather the score in relation to Asada's.

yes, her flip and lutz technique is good, and so are the edge jumps, but she has the Asada-like revolutions type so she could have worse problems of UR jumps, if she grows a lot or she gains weight I think...

Could you please explain more? I don't understand the revolutions and stuff...

Also wouldn't her jumps stay with her if her techniques were really good? The fact that she might lose her jumps means there must be something wrong with her techniques...

Doesn't she also get edge calls for her lutz?

I am still learning the details, so any details information or explanation will be appreciated

Mao: I adore Mao but this wasn't right. What's so terrible is everyone knew it...Mao included! She looked mortified! She knew she skated poorly and that Akiko deserved that win. I've never heard the crowd so stunned...Mao barely cracked a smile...everyone knew that was wrong. It's not her fault so I don't blame her at all. If she was sitting there cheering and looking a thrilled, I'd have been pissed. But she knew...everyone knew.

Akiko: That's the best she's performed in years!! That program is AMAZING and she nailed it! That scored was excellent and is only second to Ashley right now. This was yet another competition where she wuz robbed...and like I said everyone knew she deserved gold. I don't understand why the judges held Mao up like that...

Mirai: I'm so proud of her! Her SP was great and while I don't particularly care for her FS it was good to see her have a clean performance. A few URs here and there but in terms of peaking for nationals, she's right on track.

Zijun: She was wonderful and that's an excellent score she posted!! I love her lyrical style and she is flying under the radar a bit, which is great. So proud of her!

I think Akiko skated beautifully! Her jumps were wonderful! And her footwork throughout was gorgeous! She keeps the figure in skating and being 27 she makes me want to compete again at 30 I really believe she was over penalized in the short. She truly should have won this competition and its an injustice she didn't.

Way to go Mirai! I think her coaching change was very much needed and it shows. What great programs from her! I would have had her first after the short based on her doing a 3/3 and she sold it just as well as Mao did. She should have been second today. I am glad to see her getting consistent again.

Mao is a very beautiful skater and I feel badly that the judges have put her through this controversy. This program has wonderful potential she needs to get her jumps back. I would have had her 3rd or 4th in the long program. With the long and short combined I don't feel she should have won, her tech content is way to low and by giving her these scores the judges send a poor message.

I don't think it's the score that bothers most posters, but rather the score in relation to Asada's.

Agreed. I felt the same way about SC.

Akiko's score here (126+) is excellent and, like I said above, only second to Ashley's scores of 127+. The problem was Mao's FS score should have been in the 110 range...117 for what she did was excessive and unwarranted. I thought she was a bit over scored in the SP as well. That performance was excellent but I thought it should have been 63 or 64...67 was too much for her content IMO.

For what it is worth, I don't find Akiko's PCS being underscored here. After watching her performance, this is what I would have given her for the Components :

SS = 8.5
TR = 7.0
PE = 8.25
CH = 7.75
IN = 7.5

In summary, Akiko had a powerful skate and well executed LP, probably one of her best ever. That being said, there are some clearly discernable weaknesses in this program, namely the lack of connecting steps or elements. She gave this viewer an impression that she just skated from element to element. Most of her jumps were not preceded by any connecting moves of significance, which automatically lowers her GOE relative to other skaters who do more, for example vs. Kaetlyn Osmond. The latter has an ISU Technical Specialist as her coach, who knows exactly what a panel is looking for whereas the design of Akiko's elements aren't very textbook ISU standards. This is such a shame because Akiko has very impressive ability to dazzle people with her footwork, which she only uses during step sequences but not in-between. I think Akiko should give Patrick Chan a call.

When it comes to CH and IN, the construction of the program is adequate but leaves some points on the table. Yes, there were some captivating highlights in the program but for the most part, she seemed laser focus on her elements and forgot about performing. The composition of the CH can also be more clearly separated into different sections, to give her program a clearer sense of layers and change of rythm, which she didn't do. It felt as though the energy level of her performance stayed at the same level throughout.

Finally, Akiko's interpretation of her chosen music can still be improved through better utilization of her in-between and more expressive upper body movements. She simply spent too much time laser focus on her jumps and forgot she needs to express the highlights of her music. It's not because she can't - on the contrary, in the sections where she does such as in her step sequences and towards the end, she was captivating. But after the opening, the gap between that and the ending - there is a lot of empty space. The music is beautiful but she also needs to show it as well.

All things considered, she would have gotten a PCS of 62.4 from me, which is just about in line with the judging panel, so no, I cannot validate the accusations that her PCS is being underscored.

interesting observation, and spot on..... it's these little details that make a big difference!

Mao: I adore Mao but this wasn't right. What's so terrible is everyone knew it...Mao included! She looked mortified! She knew she skated poorly and that Akiko deserved that win. I've never heard the crowd so stunned...Mao barely cracked a smile...everyone knew that was wrong. It's not her fault so I don't blame her at all. If she was sitting there cheering and looking a thrilled, I'd have been pissed. But she knew...everyone knew.

Akiko: That's the best she's performed in years!! That program is AMAZING and she nailed it! That scored was excellent and is only second to Ashley right now. This was yet another competition where she wuz robbed...and like I said everyone knew she deserved gold. I don't understand why the judges held Mao up like that...

Mirai: I'm so proud of her! Her SP was great and while I don't particularly care for her FS it was good to see her have a clean performance. A few URs here and there but in terms of peaking for nationals, she's right on track.

Zijun: She was wonderful and that's an excellent score she posted!! I love her lyrical style and she is flying under the radar a bit, which is great. So proud of her!

\

Doncha just love those Eurosport announcers? They are the best in the business. I am always so excited when someone posts videos with their coverage.

Very sad, but it was nice to see Mirai almost back to her old self, and I hope she keeps it up for US Nationals. Also, I love her SP dress...so beautiful.

Mao? Well, once upon the time she was one of the greatest to ever step on ice. Now she skates as if her strength is sapped, and she is almost frail. She still has a beautiful light quality, but she is a shadow of her former self. Literally and figuratively.

I think Akiko skated beautifully! Her jumps were wonderful! And her footwork throughout was gorgeous! She keeps the figure in skating and being 27 she makes me want to compete again at 30 I really believe she was over penalized in the short. She truly should have won this competition and its an injustice she didn't.

Mao: I adore Mao but this wasn't right. What's so terrible is everyone knew it...Mao included! She looked mortified! She knew she skated poorly and that Akiko deserved that win. I've never heard the crowd so stunned...Mao barely cracked a smile...everyone knew that was wrong. It's not her fault so I don't blame her at all. If she was sitting there cheering and looking a thrilled, I'd have been pissed. But she knew...everyone knew.

Akiko: That's the best she's performed in years!! That program is AMAZING and she nailed it! That scored was excellent and is only second to Ashley right now. This was yet another competition where she wuz robbed...and like I said everyone knew she deserved gold. I don't understand why the judges held Mao up like that...

Mirai: I'm so proud of her! Her SP was great and while I don't particularly care for her FS it was good to see her have a clean performance. A few URs here and there but in terms of peaking for nationals, she's right on track.

Zijun: She was wonderful and that's an excellent score she posted!! I love her lyrical style and she is flying under the radar a bit, which is great. So proud of her!

For what it is worth, I don't find Akiko's PCS being underscored here. After watching her performance, this is what I would have given her for the Components :

SS = 8.5
TR = 7.0
PE = 8.25
CH = 7.75
IN = 7.5

In summary, Akiko had a powerful skate and well executed LP, probably one of her best ever. That being said, there are some clearly discernable weaknesses in this program, namely the lack of connecting steps or elements. She gave this viewer an impression that she just skated from element to element. Most of her jumps were not preceded by any connecting moves of significance, which automatically lowers her GOE relative to other skaters who do more, for example vs. Kaetlyn Osmond. The latter has an ISU Technical Specialist as her coach, who knows exactly what a panel is looking for whereas the design of Akiko's elements aren't very textbook ISU standards. This is such a shame because Akiko has very impressive ability to dazzle people with her footwork, which she only uses during step sequences but not in-between. I think Akiko should give Patrick Chan a call.

When it comes to CH and IN, the construction of the program is adequate but leaves some points on the table. Yes, there were some captivating highlights in the program but for the most part, she seemed laser focus on her elements and forgot about performing. The composition of the CH can also be more clearly separated into different sections, to give her program a clearer sense of layers and change of rythm, which she didn't do. It felt as though the energy level of her performance stayed at the same level throughout.

Finally, Akiko's interpretation of her chosen music can still be improved through better utilization of her in-between and more expressive upper body movements. She simply spent too much time laser focus on her jumps and forgot she needs to express the highlights of her music. It's not because she can't - on the contrary, in the sections where she does such as in her step sequences and towards the end, she was captivating. But after the opening, the gap between that and the ending - there is a lot of empty space. The music is beautiful but she also needs to show it as well.

All things considered, she would have gotten a PCS of 62.4 from me, which is just about in line with the judging panel, so no, I cannot validate the accusations that her PCS is being underscored.

I guess it's all subjective. I think her transitions and linking footwork could be better, but I don't think they're weak areas. As for CH and IN, I think the composition of the program is great. It starts mellow, speeds up for the footwork, back to mellow and then builds, ending with lots of energy. I love the pacing of it. And to me, she embodies the music fully from the first beat to the last. People perceive things differently though so...

I thought her scores were good here. For CH and IN I probably would have given her 8.25 and 8.0 respectively but I thought they were good marks. I think Mao was over scored by about 4 points in the SP and about 5 or 6 points in the FS...

Asada's SP was that good?
Joy to watch?
Yeah, but She's 22 year-old lady now, not 15 year-old little girl anymore...
Her Mary Poppins at ice show was enough. That was a show.
But, Grand prix is not school play, and she's not kindergarden child.

Could you please explain more? I don't understand the revolutions and stuff...

Also wouldn't her jumps stay with her if her techniques were really good? The fact that she might lose her jumps means there must be something wrong with her techniques...

Doesn't she also get edge calls for her lutz?

I am still learning the details, so any details information or explanation will be appreciated

Thank you!

When you rotate really fast in the air it often means that you don't have an enormous height and it affects the completeness of the rotations because it's easier to touch the ice earlier and complete just 2.5 or 2.75 of the 3 planned revolutions. And, if your technique is good but you don't jump really high, when you get weight (and it can be normal, during puberty) your risk is to get <... A few examples:
-Liza grew a lot during last year but she usually jumps really high and she has a perfect technique so she didn't lose her jumps and she probably won't;
-nagasu has had (and still has) a lot of rotation problems during puberty, even if her technique is really good
And the fact that you get edge call doesn't men that your technique is bad, it could just be that that jump is especially difficult for you, I don't know about Li.
And, I didn't say that her technique is perfect, it could be better in the lutz and in the flip and in the axel but it's not as bad as some of the other young girls (Lipnitskaya, Murakami...), it's overall quite good.
(Sorry for my grammar, I'm not an English speker)